James Douglas Morrison (December 8, 1943 â€" July 3, 1971) was an
American singer, songwriter and poet, who served as the lead vocalist
of the rock band The Doors. Due to his wild personality, poetic
lyrics, his widely recognized voice, unpredictable and erratic
performances, and the dramatic circumstances surrounding his life and
early death, Morrison is regarded by music critics and fans as one of
the most iconic and influential frontmen in rock history. Since his
death, his fame has endured as one of popular culture's most
rebellious and oft-displayed icons, representing the generation gap
and youth counterculture.Together with Ray Manzarek, Morrison
co-founded the Doors during the summer of 1965 in Venice, California.
The band spent two years in obscurity until shooting to prominence
with their number-one single in the United States, "Light My Fire,"
taken from their self-titled debut album. Morrison wrote or co-wrote
many of the Doors' songs, including "Light My Fire", "Break On Through
(To the Other Side)", "The End", "Moonlight Drive", "Wild Child", "The
Soft Parade", "People Are Strange", "Hello, I Love You", "Roadhouse
Blues", "L.A. Woman", and "Riders on the Storm". He recorded a total
of six studio albums with the Doors, all of which sold well and
received critical acclaim. Morrison was well known for improvising
spoken word poetry passages while the band played live. Manzarek said
Morrison "embodied hippie counterculture rebellion".Morrison developed
an alcohol dependency during the 1960s, which at times affected his
performances on stage. He died unexpectedly at the age of 27 in Paris,
among conflicting witness and alleged witness reports. As no autopsy
was performed, the cause of Morrison's death remains disputed. Though
the Doors recorded two more albums after Morrison died, his death
severely affected the band's fortunes, and they split up in 1973. In
1993, Morrison was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a
member of the Doors. In 2008, he was ranked 47th in Rolling Stone
magazine's list "The 100 Greatest Singers of All Time."
American singer, songwriter and poet, who served as the lead vocalist
of the rock band The Doors. Due to his wild personality, poetic
lyrics, his widely recognized voice, unpredictable and erratic
performances, and the dramatic circumstances surrounding his life and
early death, Morrison is regarded by music critics and fans as one of
the most iconic and influential frontmen in rock history. Since his
death, his fame has endured as one of popular culture's most
rebellious and oft-displayed icons, representing the generation gap
and youth counterculture.Together with Ray Manzarek, Morrison
co-founded the Doors during the summer of 1965 in Venice, California.
The band spent two years in obscurity until shooting to prominence
with their number-one single in the United States, "Light My Fire,"
taken from their self-titled debut album. Morrison wrote or co-wrote
many of the Doors' songs, including "Light My Fire", "Break On Through
(To the Other Side)", "The End", "Moonlight Drive", "Wild Child", "The
Soft Parade", "People Are Strange", "Hello, I Love You", "Roadhouse
Blues", "L.A. Woman", and "Riders on the Storm". He recorded a total
of six studio albums with the Doors, all of which sold well and
received critical acclaim. Morrison was well known for improvising
spoken word poetry passages while the band played live. Manzarek said
Morrison "embodied hippie counterculture rebellion".Morrison developed
an alcohol dependency during the 1960s, which at times affected his
performances on stage. He died unexpectedly at the age of 27 in Paris,
among conflicting witness and alleged witness reports. As no autopsy
was performed, the cause of Morrison's death remains disputed. Though
the Doors recorded two more albums after Morrison died, his death
severely affected the band's fortunes, and they split up in 1973. In
1993, Morrison was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a
member of the Doors. In 2008, he was ranked 47th in Rolling Stone
magazine's list "The 100 Greatest Singers of All Time."
Share this
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
Join us for free and get valuable content delivered right through your inbox.